Handcuff.



No. 636,589. Patented Nov. 7, |899. J. J. TOWER.

IIANDGUFF.

. (Appliwtion med July 21, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l,

(llaV Model.)

J. J. TOWER.

HANDCUFF.

(Application led July 21, 1899.)

l s Y @im z mm e: a@

Patented Nov. 7, |899.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

f NiTED STATES PATENT Fries.

JOHN J. TOWER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HANDCUFF.

SPCIFCATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 636,589, dated November'7, 1899. Application filed J'uly 21,1899. Serial No. 724,628. (Nomodel.)

T0 aZZ whom, it mag/concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. TOWER, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings andState of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inHandcus; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being`had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures ofreference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My present invention being in the nature of an improvement in handcuffsis intended to prevent premature latching of the segmentbar in thesocket of the radius-bar by the design or struggles of a refractorycaptive; and my invention consists in the mechanical provisions andcombinations hereinafter fully set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l is anelevation of a handcuff and lock of thetype to which my invention more particularly relates, the plate of thelock being removed. Fig. 2 is a section at the line of Fig. l. Fig.3shows part of the lock. Fig. 4 represents the'boltdetaining tumblerdetached. Fig. 5 shows the bolt detached; and Fig. 6 is a view similarto Fig. 3, but the guard-tumbler is not shown. These several figuresillustrate a type of handcuff described in Letters Patent No. 222,751.Fig. 7 represents such a handcuff and lock with my presentinventionapplied. Fig. 8 is a section at e' .z of Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a front edge view of Fig. 7, and Fig.`

10 illustrates a modification of one part of my present invention. l

Like letters and numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout theseveral figures.

The radius-bar a is jointed at b to the end of the notched segment-barc, and the link d is applied at the joint as usual. The segment-bar cpasses through the outer end of the radius-bar, and the notches in thesegment-bar care on the inner surface. Within the radius-bar there is acavity for the parts of the lock, and a cap-plate fis secured by rivetsin the ordinary manner. The spring-catch h swings upon the stud t', and

it is moved toward the segment-bar by the spring 7c.

Z is a sliding bolt having a block o, that can be moved in between theends of the swinging catch h and the inner part of the lockcase when thecatch h is in one of the notches of the segment-bar. Hence thespring-catch cannot be forced or drawn back until that block is removedfrom the said position shown in Fig. l. The bolt Z has two talons, sothat the key n, turned upon the stud r, mayact in the talon 2 and drawthe bolt Z and stud or block o to the position shown in Fig. 6. Thespring-catch h is now free to move either way. This is the normalposition of the lock Yand the position it assumes when the key has beenonce turned around and then removed from the lock. The handcu can now beclosed around the wrist and the spring-catch will yield as thesegment-bar is forced through the radius-bar, and the said catch willprevent the lock being opened until some device is applied to draw thespring-catch back out of the notch of the segment-bar c. This isaccomplished by giving the key a partial second turn, which causes it toact in the talon 3 of the bolt and draw the same along, and by the blocko acting on the tail 4 of the spring-catch draw the same and thespringcatch back out of the way of the segment-bar teeth.

It is now to be understood that any desired character of springs ortumblers may be employed to prevent end motion being communicated to thebolt except by the key.

Two tumblers s s are shown in Figs. l, 2, 3, and 6 with springs andnotches and a stud or Afence 6 upon the bolt to hold the said bolt .whenin the projected or when in the partially-retracted position that theparts assume when the handeuff is ready for use. When the key is appliedto draw the bolt back and open the handcuff, the spring-catch wouldimmediately throw the bolt forward if the key turned all around, andthus clear the bolt. To prevent this, the talon 4 may made so as to stopthe revolution of the key at the desired place; but by preference aguard-tumbler t, made as seen in Fig. 4, is used. The incline 8 on thistumbler allows the said tumbler to swing until its heel 9 passes intothe path of the key and arrests its further move- IOO ment. The key isnow blocked and the parts of the lock do not act upon the segmental bar;but when the key is again turned forward the parts assume their normalposition, the guard-tumbler is raised out of the way of the key by thestud of the bolt ruiming under the incline S, the key can be removed,and the handcuifs are ready for use. After they have been placed uponthe prisoner so as to secure him the key is applied to move the bolt andsecure the parts against any attempt to open the same, and in so doingthe parts are so immovably fixed that the radius-bar cannot be moved ineither direction on the segment-bar, so that the handcuif cannot becomeunduly tightened and preventing also any motion that otherwise might befavorable to opening of the handcuff by the captive.

The application of my present invention to this type of handcuff will beunderstood by the following description:

Referring to Figs. 7, 8, 9, and l0, a', c, c', f', 7L', t', l', o', s,and t indicate parts hereinbefore shown and described. A in thesefigures is a swinging sprin g-catch-detainin g tumbler provided, asshown in Fig. 7, with a point a2 to engage a notch a3, made in the hubof the spring-catch 7L', normally held by a sprin g o and having an armprojecting slightly externally through the mortise u in the radiusbarbeneath the margin of the lock-plate, by which said detaining-tumblermay be manually operated. (See Figs. 7, 9, and IO.) In Fig. 10 thispivoted spring-catch-detaining tumbler A is modified byomitting thepoint a2 and providing a notched part a4, which, as there shown, is toengage the stud or block 0', the latter in such case being madesufficiently high.

d is a diminutive groove in the innermost wall and longitudinally of thesocket in the radius-bar, and b is a projection on the first tooth ofthe segment-bar, dimensioned so as to freely tra-versc said groove.

Heretofore when the handcuff was to be applied to the wrist of a captivethe key was inserted, and by it the latch h' was disengaged from thenotches c c and the segmentbar swung out of the socket of the radiusbar.In such case a refractory prisoner by design or as the result of astruggle might thrust the segment-bar back into the socket of theradius-bar, when it would be reengaged by the catch 7L and lockedshutand require reapplication of the key to reopen, and thus gain achalice to escape. By my presentinvention, as will now appear, thishazard is avoided.

g To apply a handcuff having my present invention embodied, proceed inthe following manner: Unlock with the key, as before, which operationturns the spring-latch h on its pivot 'i' to the position shown in Fig.7, when the point c2 of the detaining-tumbler A there shown is forced bythe spring o into the notch a3 in the hub of the spring-catch h',retaining it out of engagement with the notches c c of the segment-bar.At the same time the arm of this tumbler A, which is normally flush withthe surface of the lateral edge of the radius-bar, new projects slightlybeyond the same through the mortise u. (See Fig. 7.) The struggles ordesign of the prisoner are not now effective to prematurely closeandlock the handcuff as before, because unless he can bring firm hardpressure to bear directly upon the protruding arm of thedetaining-tumbler A the mere thrusting of the segment-bar back into itssocket will fail to effect a latchiug and locking of the handeuf, whilethe officer by keeping his thumb-nail upon the projecting arm of thesaid detaining-tumbler will be able to instantly trip the spring-catch hwhen the wrist of his prisoner is clasped and to lock the handcuff uponhim.

In the modification of this part of my invention (shown in Fig. 10)preciselylike order of procedure produces the same results, the catch c4and the block 0 operating in place of the point a2 and notch a3.

The operation of the further improvement indicated by t and d', Figs. 7,8, and 9, is as follows: If as a result of the struggles of the captiveor from other causes the protruding arm of the tumbler A shonld bedepressed while the segment-bar is openi. e., out of the socket in theradius-bar-thrusting the same back into the socket would not prematurelylock the handcuff closed, but would again automatically reset thespring-catchdetaining tumbler A, because the projection h' on the firsttooth of the segment-bar would turn the spring-catch 7L far enough forthe point a2 to drop into the notch a3 again, or in case of themodification for the notch a4 to advance over the block 0. This featureof my invention, however, may or may not be ememployed with the specificmechanisms shown for a lock and might be employed with advantage with alock of different character.

I. A notched segment and a radius bar, and a spring-catch to hold thesegment-bar, in combination with a spring and a manuallyoperablespring-catch-detaining tumbler A held by said spring having an integralarm projecting through the radius-bar, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the notched segment-bar, of a spring-catch, abolt Z, a block c', a guard-tumbler t', and a manually-Operablespring-catch-detainiug tumbler A, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination of a notched segmentbar, a swinging radius-bar, aswinging springcatch, a manually-operable spring-catch-detainingtumbler, bolt Z', block o, guard-tumbler t', having incline 8, and heel9, tumblers s" s', and fence or stud G, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with the notched segmentandradiusbarsinahandeuff,ofaspringcatch to hold the segment-bar, a meansto hold the spring-catch, a manually-operable spring- IOO IIO

catch-detaining mechanism, and a projection b', on the rst tooth of thesegment-bar to automatically set Said spring-catch and detainingmechanism, and a groove d', in the socket of the radius-bar,substantially as set forth.

5. The combination, with the notched segment and radius bars in ahandcuff, of a springcatch to hold the segment-bar, a bolt, a block tohold the spring-catch, a manually-operable spring-catch-detainingtumbler, a projection b', on the first tooth of the segmentbar, and agroove d', in the socket of the radius-bar, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the notched segment-bar, of a spring-catch, abolt l', a block o', a guard-tumbler t', a manually-operablespring-catch-detaining tumbler A, a projection b', on the first tooth ofthe segment-bar, and a groove d', in the socket of the radiusbar,substantially as set forth.

7. The combination of a notched segmentbar, a swinging radius-bar, aSwingin g springcatch, a manually-operable spring-catch-detainingtumbler, a projection b', on the rst tooth of the segment-bar, a grooved', in the socket of the radius-bar, bolt l', block: o', guard-tumblert', having incline 8, and heel 9, tumblers s s', and fence or stud 6,substantially as set forth.

S. The combination, with a notched segment-bar c, radius-bar a', a boltmoved by a key and acting to prevent swinging of the radius-bar ineither direction on the segmentbar, a manually-operablespring-catch-detaining tumbler, of a projection b', on the first toothof the segment-bar, and a groove within the socket of the radius-bar,substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. TOWER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. COLE, GEO. N. BLAKE.

